'Nick Kindelsperger' on Serious Eats

Over the past few months, we've been introducing you to the writers here on Serious Eats Chicago. Today it's time for, well, me. This also means that I'm left to write an editor's note about the editor, which is obviously strange. So I'll keep this short and get started with the interview. More

What do you do with tomatoes that are a tad past their BLT or caprese salad prime? Ketchupify them. Nick Kindelsperger of The Paupered Chef, and our regular Dinner Tonight contributor, followed a recipe by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. "It's almost good enough to eat with a spoon."... More

"Everything was going well until we noticed the incredible amount of fat that was accumulating in the pan." Nick Kindelsperger and Blake Royer of The Paupered Chef made quick-flipped fat burgers out of home-ground meat using Harold McGee's technique where... More

Because it spoils quickly and most people store it improperly, dry vermouth has acquired an unsavory reputation over the years. With a little care, however, it can go from stand-in to starring role in recipes and drinks. The Paupered Chef duo on storage and use—including a recipe for mussels.More

Anyone who has over bought fresh-squeezed OJ knows it bears a hefty price. Nick Kindelsperger and Blake Royer, working collectively as The Paupered Chef, turn their frugal eyes on homemade orange juice. More

This staple of the produce aisle always goes forgotten in the fridge, then goes limp, then gets trashed. In fact, it's difficult to remember the last time we actually used an entire bunch of celery before tossing it. What interesting creations could come from a vegetable which even the most authoritative texts say is best thrown in stock? More

Some grapes go by different names across different languages, countries, and regions. Pinot Noir, for example, is known as Pinot Nero in Italy, Spatburgunder in Germany, and Blauburgunder in Austria. If people are paying $60 a bottle for Barolo while the humble Spanna is sitting on the same shelf, what other regional secrets exist? Photograph by Nick Kindelsperger "What's in a name? That which we call a rose By any other word would smell as sweet." William Shakespeare When we lived on the Upper East Side of Manhattan on York Avenue, a location with all the no-subway pain of Alphabet City with none of the cool, there was this wine shop called In Vino Veritas. Nobody really knows about it;... More

Some of the most respected chefs and restaurateurs in the country are using frozen french fries in their establishments. With that knowledge, the Paupered Chef tries three varieties of iced spuds at home, hoping to make a perfect, crisp, golden-brown batch of potatoes at home. More

Technology has caught up with cork, and now other nontraditional closures are gaining steam. Instead of excitement, this cheaper, safer way to store wine has most of wine-buying public terrified. And I think I know why. More

When there is a warm day in March, spring recipes begin to seem practical. Asparagus, spring’s tender manifestation, has indeed been showing up in produce marketsnot gray and woody, but green and flexible. The Paupered Chef provides a quick and easy recipe for this early-bird vegetable. More

Trying to make pizza at home? Forget baking stones and peels. We used London chef Heston Blumenthal's unprecedented technique, which is radical and simple and produces remarkable results. The only equipment you'll need is a cast-iron skillet and your oven's broiler. More

Collectively, Nick Kindelsperger and Blake Royer are The Paupered Chef. This week, our frugal friends explore the Old Fashioned, a venerable cocktail whose clean appeal is long on taste but short on expense. More

Collectively, Nick Kindelsperger and Blake Royer are The Paupered Chef. This week, these frugal cooks turn their eye toward the most important meal of the day, breakfast. Here, they try to "puff" rice themselves but ultimately settle on a recipe for easy-to-make, low-cost breakfast bars.More

Together, Nick Kindelsperger and Blake Royer are the Paupered Chef. These frugal cooks offer an easy, cost-effective menu for romance. With recipes for mussels, Cornish hen, and chocolate truffles. More